MANAGING SUBSET OF USER CONTACTS

• US 20100042941A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Amano-Palacios, Alejandro J., Vance, Michael Steffen, Chugh, Jasdeep Singh, Robertson, Christian, White, Gabriel J., Ungari, Joseph L., Shah, Shilpa R., Benson, Jared
• Granted Patent: US 8,359,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for managing a subset of user contacts on a telecommunications device are provided. In one embodiment, a software application executed by a processor of a telecommunications device identifies a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of the telecommunications device. The subset of contacts includes a portion of the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device. The software application executed by the processor of the telecommunications device then causes display of a graphical identifier associated with each contact of the subset of contacts in an arrangement on a display of the telecommunications device about an axis positioned external to the display of the telecommunications device. Aspects of systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for further arranging the graphical identifiers are also provided. Even further, aspects of systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for providing functionality associated with the graphical identifiers are provided.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having a computer-executable component for displaying user contacts on a display of a telecommunications device, the computer-executable component comprising:

a contact management component for;

identifying a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of the telecommunications device, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device;

determining a frequency of communication between each contact of the subset of contacts and the user of the telecommunications device; and

causing display of a graphical identifier associated with each contact of the subset of contacts in an arrangement about an axis, wherein the axis is positioned external to the display of the telecommunications device, wherein a size of each graphical identifier is determined as a function of the frequency of communication between the user and the contact associated with the respective graphical identifier, and wherein each graphical identifier associated with a contact in the subset of contacts is vertically and horizontally displaced from an adjacent graphical identifier on the display.

2. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the subset of contacts includes a plurality of contacts.

3. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein each contact in the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the telecommunications device.

4. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact management component is further operable to:

determine a frequency of communication between the user and each of the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device.

5. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 4, wherein a first portion of the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the telecommunications device and a remaining portion of the subset of contacts is determined as a function of the frequency of communication between the user and each of the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device.

6. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein a first position associated with the arrangement corresponds to a focal position.

7. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 6, wherein a graphical identifier located in the focal position is highlighted.

8. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 6, wherein a graphical identifier located in the focal position has greater dimensions than the other displayed graphical identifiers regardless of the determined frequency of communication between the user and the contact associated with the graphical identifier located in the focal position.

9. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 6, wherein each graphical identifier located in a position other than the focal position is faded relative to a graphical identifier located in the focal position.

10. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein each graphical identifier associated with a contact in the subset of contacts is separated on the display by a minimum distance.

11. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein a distance on the display between each graphical identifier associated with a contact in the subset of contacts is variable.

12. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the distance varies within a predetermined range of distances.

13. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein an initial position on the display corresponding to each graphical identifier is determined as a function of the frequency of communication between the user and the contact associated with the respective graphical identifier.

14. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein an initial position on the display of at least one graphical identifier is determined as a function of the frequency of communication between the user and the contact associated with the respective at least one graphical identifier.

15. A method comprising:

identifying a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of a telecommunications device, wherein the subset of contacts includes a portion of the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device and wherein the subset of contacts includes at least two contacts; and

causing display of a graphical identifier associated with each contact of the subset of contacts in an arrangement about an axis, wherein the axis is positioned external to the display of the telecommunications device;

wherein the method is implemented by a computing system.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the arrangement comprises a path about the axis.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the path is determined as a function of distance from the axis.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

causing the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts to emulate rotation along the path about the axis in response to a user navigation input.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the dimensions of at least a portion of the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts change as a function of the rotation along the path about the axis.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein a first graphical identifier from the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of user contacts is selectable by movement of the first graphical identifier into a first position on the display relative to the axis.

21. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein a first graphical identifier from the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of user contacts is selectable in response to a user navigation input.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the user navigation input includes a touch screen input.

23. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the graphical identifiers are caused to be located on the display in positions along the path, wherein the graphical identifiers are rotatable along at least a portion of the path about the axis.

24. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the arrangement includes a focal position and at least one remaining position in which the graphical identifiers are positioned on the display, wherein the at least one remaining position is located in the path about the axis.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the focal position is not located in the path about the axis.

26. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein each contact in the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the telecommunications device.

27. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

determining a frequency of communication between the user and each of the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device.

28. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein a first portion of the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the telecommunications device and a remaining portion of the subset of contacts is determined as a function of the frequency of communication between the user and each of the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device.

29. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein a first position associated with the arrangement corresponds to a focal position.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein a graphical identifier located in the focal position is highlighted.

31. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein a graphical identifier located in the focal position has greater dimensions than the other displayed graphical identifiers.

32. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein a size of the graphical identifiers other than the graphical identifier located in the focal position is constant.

33. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein a size of each of the graphical identifiers other than the graphical identifier located in the focal position is random.

34. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein a size of each graphical identifier other than the graphical identifier located in the focal position is determined as a function of a frequency of communication between the user of the telecommunications device and the contact associated with the respective graphical identifier.

35. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein each graphical identifier located in a position other than the focal position is faded relative to a graphical identifier located in the focal position.

36. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein a graphical identifier located in the focal position is selectable to initiate communication between the user of the telecommunications device and the contact associated with the respective graphical identifier.

37. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein each graphical identifier associated with a contact in the subset of contacts is separated on the display by a minimum distance.

38. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein a distance on the display between each graphical identifier associated with a contact in the subset of contacts is variable.

39. The method as recited in claim 38, wherein the distance varies within a predetermined range of distances.

40. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein each graphical identifier associated with a contact in the subset of contacts is vertically and horizontally displaced from an adjacent graphical identifier on the display.

41. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein an initial position on the display of each graphical identifier is determined as a function of the frequency of communication between the user and the contact associated with the respective graphical identifier.

42. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein an initial position on the display of at least one graphical identifier is determined as a function of the frequency of communication between the user and the contact associated with the respective at least one graphical identifier.

43. A computer system for implementing the method as recited in claim 15.

44. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method as recited in claim 15.

45. A method comprising:

identifying a subset of contacts selected by a user of a telecommunications device, wherein the subset of contacts includes a portion of the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device and wherein the subset of contacts includes at least two contacts; and

causing display of a graphical identifier associated with each contact of the subset of contacts in a path as a function of distance to an axis positioned external to the display of the telecommunications device, wherein each graphical identifier associated with a contact in the subset of contacts is vertically and horizontally displaced from an adjacent graphical identifier in the path on the display;

wherein the method is implemented by at least one computing device.

46. The method as recited in claim 45, wherein each graphical identifier associated with a contact in the subset of contacts is separated on the display by a minimum distance.

47. The method as recited in claim 45, wherein a distance on the display between each graphical identifier associated with a contact in the subset of contacts is variable.

48. The method as recited in claim 47, wherein the distance varies within a predetermined range of distances.

49. The method as recited in claim 45, wherein an initial position on the display of each graphical identifier is determined as a function of the frequency of communication between the user and the contact associated with the respective graphical identifier.

50. The method as recited in claim 45, wherein an initial position on the display of at least one graphical identifier is determined as a function of the frequency of communication between the user and the contact associated with the respective at least one graphical identifier.